Apparatus



(No Model.)

B. BROWER. DAMPING APPARATUS.

No. 455,505. Patented my 7,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BLOOMFIELD BROWER, 'OF-NEW YORK, N, Y.

DAM PING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,505, dated July '7, 1891. Application filed December 7, 1883. Serial No. 113,791. (No model.)

city of New York, county of New York, and

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Damping Apparatus, fully described and represented in the; following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

These improvements are illustrated 1n Figure 1 by a perspective view, in Fig. 2 by a crosssectional elevation, and in Fig. 3 by a longi- Y tudinal sectiOnal elevation, while Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing two modes'of applying friction to the shaft of the roller.

The improvements relate to that class of deskimplements or counting-house appliances that constitute in theirmain feature a damping apparatus; but the invention embraces constructions andcombinations whereby various other features of usefulness are accomplished.

The invention consists in the peculiar structure embracing a reservoir supplying a dipping-well in which a roller clothed with absorbent material is exposed to the grasp of the fingers or hand of the user.

In the construction shown the device consists of a bottom A, from which rise side walls B O and back and front walls D E, whereby is constituted a vessel deep enough to contain a considerable quantity of water, and in suitable bearings formed in the walls B C a dam ping-roller F is hung so that it may revolve'and dip more or less into the water in the well J of the vessel.

In order that the water or other dampingfiuid may be stored in considerable quantity and be removed from the infiuencesinducing evaporation, and yet be supplied as required to the damping-roller, a central division W, uniting with the bottom A and side walls B C and connected with a top piece G, is provided to form a reservoir H, said division W being perforated at the bottom with an opening I, connecting the reservoir H with the well J. The vessel is filled by admitting the dampingtity of water flows from the reservoir into said well in the same manner as in the fountaininkstand, as will be readily understood. The

walls B, C, E, and NV, being nearly vertical, constitute an extended opening or mouth for the dipping-well, that enables the fingers of H the user to reach onto the sides as well as the top of the roller F.

The bottom of the vessel is of suflicient dimensions to afford a broad. support upon which it mayrest upon a desk or table and have its roller pressed upon and revolved without danger of tipping, and it may obviously be provided with feet, if desired.

The damping-roller will preferably be a metal core or center clothed or covered with cloth, felt, or other material (see Fig. 2) capable of absorbing and retaining the dampingfluid upon merely revolving the roll therein: In its use the operator simply applies his fingers to the roll or grasps a considerable portion of its surface to obtain therefrom an amount of damping suitable to aid the ready handling of bills, stamps, or other sheets which are to be quickly manipulated, a slight turning of the roller being effected, as may be required to present a sufficient wet surface of the roller. If the objectis to dampen stamps for the purpose of softening their gummed backs, so as to render them adhesive, the stamps are simply drawn over the damp surface of the roller, the latter being first revolved or moved during the operation, so as to present a suitably-Wet surface. Should it be desired'to use the roller as a wiper for pens, one end of it or even the whole of it may be employed for that purpose, the roller cleaning itself as it dips into the fluid; but in that case a felt clothing will be preferable. That the roller may notturn too freelyan operation especially undesirable when the same is to be used as a means for damping stamps or wiping a pen and similar uses-itis provided with a friction device, which, as illustrated, consists in one form of a bearing made up of a spring-seated pillow-block 2 and a rigidly-fixed cap-piece 3. This will apply sufficient friction to the shaft 4 of the roller to cause the same to offer a proper amount of resistance to the free revolution of the roller. In another form the shaft 4 of the roller is provided with a polygonal head K, that tits in a polygonal seat L, fixed to the side wall .13, whereby said roller, while capable of turning upon the application of moderate power to its surface, will readily seat itself in a fixed position and remain there, as in Fig. 5, until it is further turned.

. Thisdevice enables one to retain a dampened portion of the roller in a fixed position,

which will not be disturbed by moderate pressure applied to its surface, and thus especially adapts the apparatus to be used for damping adhesive stamps, as it will thus retain a properly-dampeued portion uppermost for use until it is exhausted, and may then be turned to present a new portion for use, or when used for wiping a pen will resist rotary motion, so as to cause the wiping action. By this device a regulation is also effected that prevents the constant presentation of a surface too much dampened for use, as would likely result were the roller quite free to turn under the impulse given by light drawing or rolling pressure.

As it is common in counting-houses, where damping devices are in common use and form an important part of office paraphernalia, to associate in the operations there carried on, especially in the counting of money, pins and a pen, this vessel is modified in its construction, so as to embody dish-like receptacles adapted to contain pins and a rack to hold a pen. The receptacles for containing pins consist of shallow dish-like structures M N, formed by depressing the top G sufficiently for that purpose, as is well seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 8, the one being separated from the other by the wall 6. Thus constructed the receptacle M may contain one size of pins and the receptacle N another size.

The pen-rack is formed by constructing the upper edges of the walls B O with depressed seats or bearings 7, (one or more, as may be desired,) while the wall 0 is similarly supplied with seats 8. The seats 8 are placed in a plane lower than that occupied by the seats 7, whereby the bellying portion of the common pen -holder may not rest in such seats 8, while the tip and pen receiving ends of the holder (being. of lesser size) may rest in the seats 7, or a pen-holder or pencil too short to reach beyond the side walls may rest in'the seat 7 of one wall and in a seat 8 of the wall 6,and this will be accomplished without interfering materially with the removal of a pin from either of the receptacles M or N; but in order to entirely remove the pen-holder from obstructing the pin-receptacles the backwall D and the division-wall W are provided with depressed seats or bearings 9, whereby is provided a rest for one or more pen-holders nearthe center of the device, the depressed form of the receptacles M N accommodating the bellying portion of the pen-holder in the manner before explained.

In practical use for bankers purposes the device has great utility, for the reason that in counting paper money and making the same up into packages the user, first rotating the roller-to p1" esent the properly-dampened surface, obtains therefrom by contact of the fingers therewith a sufficient amount of moisture to enable him to readily handle the bills. He then places a binder or strap of paper around the same, and,takingan appropriatelysized pin from the receptacle M or N, secures the same into package form, and that done picks up a pen or pencil from the holder provided over the said receptacles and suitably marks said package. Thus an article of desk or counting-house furniture is produced that provides in one compact body a means for damping the fingers or a stamp, receptacles for holding pins, or it might be pins and stamps or seals, and a rack for the support of a pen or pencil, thus bringing the things necessary to the accomplishment of rapid workin counting-houses into the most compact area for convenient use.

hat is claimed is- I 1. The herein -described damping apparatus, consisting of the fountain-reservoir H. having the open dipping-well J, communieating therewith, and the roller F, clothed with an absorbent material and supported in bearings formed in the walls of the dippingwell, so that its under side dips into the fluid in the well, while its upper surface is exposed in the open top of the well, whereby the thumb and fingers of the user can be applied to the top of said roller to be moistened, and Whereby the roller can be given a partial turn at the same application of the fingers, substantially as described.

2. The hereindescribed damping apparatus, consisting of the fountain-reservoir H, having the open dipping-well J, communicating therewith, and the roller F, clothed with an absorbent material and supported in bearings formed in the walls of the dipping well, so that its under side dips into the fluid in the well, while its upper surface is exposed in the open top of the Well, and a friction device controlling the rotation of said roller, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described combined damping apparatus and pen-rack, consisting of the fountain-reservoir H, having the open dipping-well J, communicating therewith, and the roller F, clothed with an absorbent material and supported in bearings formed in the walls of the dipping-Well, so that its under side dips into the fluid in the well, while its upper surface is exposed in the open top of the well, the top of said fountain-reservoir being provided with a pen-rack consisting of two sets of seats 7 and a third set of seats 8, said third set being arranged between and lower than the other two, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BLOOMFIELD BROXVER.

Witnesses:

Gno. B. THORNE, T. H. PALMER. 

